


super effective

by freshia



Series: mew ain't got nothing on you [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Pokemon AU, Sharing a Bed, Very Lance-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 17:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11926083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freshia/pseuds/freshia
Summary: And then Keith surprises him, rolling over on his side so he’s facing Lance.Suddenly, their proximity isveryobvious to Lance.“I have a question for you.” he says. Lance swallows, nods, suddenly regrets not just excusing himself to the Center's lobby and sleeping on the couch.“What are you… Doing all this for?” Keith pauses. “I mean, the gyms, the battling, the Championship thing.”Lance frowns at the question, brows drawn in. It was his dream, right? Was that not an acceptable answer?Where a young teenager leaves on an adventure and winds up finding out a lot more about himself -- andothers-- than he expects.





	super effective

**Author's Note:**

> Before you all burn me alive for Lance's starter, I picked it because I didn't want him to have a type advantage over Keith.
> 
> Also, this ended up 200x longer than it was supposed to and I STILL didn't fit in everything I wanted -- boo. I guess that's what sequels are for.
> 
> (Shout out to [the "a challenger appears!"](http://archiveofourown.org/series/758886) series by redlight, because we need ALL the Pokemon AU, and it's got that cute Hunk/Lance/Keith OT3 thing going on!)
> 
> quick note before we dive in: i play pokemon canon PRETTY loose here, particularly involving... pokemon levels and when they would evolve. ok, let's go!

The lights in the Champion’s battle room beat down on Lance’s skin as he wipes away sweat at his hairline, watching Keith carefully. Despite their distance, he can tell just by his movements that Keith is feeling the tension too. _Good_. They’re both waiting on who’s going to make the next move -- they both know it’s going to be Keith.

Lance doesn’t consider himself a defensive battler, per _say_ , but Keith makes even the rowdiest youngster trainers look like cautious battlers.

And, after all, Keith is always first. Ahead of him in calling out attacks, ahead of him in gym badges.

… But since Lance is already setting a new precedent, why _not_ start a little early?

/

/

/

Pidge has been the greatest addition to Hunk and Lance’s life ever since she moved to Pallet, not that he would admit that to her face so easily. It’s only been about two years, and still, she fits right in like she’d grown up with them. He hadn’t been quite so sure, at first -- Hunk had already taken the _best friend_ slot in his heart, and he had enough siblings that he didn’t need one more.

But while she _isn’t_ Hunk, and she _isn’t_ his younger sister, she takes an important place in his life all the same and he realizes that she adds another color to Pallet town.

“I know you’re waiting on the starters to come in,” she says one day, crouched down with him in a field of daisies. They aren’t too far from the lab. She claims to always picks this place so she can _‘study the Caterpie_ ’, but Lance is pretty sure it’s just her favorite place to take a break.

“But,” she continues, “don’t you think it’d be better if you could leave now?”

Lance quirks an eyebrow at her. She might be a year younger than him, but she’s not dumber. You don’t become a professor-in-training (“ _don’t call me that!”_ ) as young as she had without some brains.

Which is _exactly_ why he’s totally baffled she would even say that.

“... Uh, great idea, except for the part where I don’t have any Pokemon, and everyone knows the Pokemon around here are totally lame for a starter.” well, perhaps not all of them, but only the best will suffice for Lance. He wasn’t going to start _any_ adventure on a bad note.

“That’s not--”

“-- And even then, how am I supposed to catch it? Just chuck Pokeballs at a Pidgey and hope for the best?” he shrugs, in an over-exaggerated way, and she digs her fingers into the dirt underneath them in agitation.

“Uh, no?”

Lance furrows his eyebrows and opens up his mouth to reply, but before he can even get a word out Pidge reaches into her lab-coat pocket and rolls a Pokeball toward him.

/

He makes plans with Hunk to leave the next morning.

That goes a little like this: Lance climbs up the tree that’s next to Hunk’s second-story bedroom window, and swings in like he does this every single day.

(Which may not be that far from the truth, to be honest.)

After Hunk gives him the usual spiel of “there’s a front door dude, use it,” Lance whips out the Pokeball that Pidge had given him only maybe an hour ago and releases his newest friend.

The Shinx that materializes looks around carefully, yellow eyes searching, ears twitching -- and then straight-up attacks Hunk’s shoelaces.

“Okay,” Hunk says, “That’s new.”

Lance gives him the run-down: Pidge had something she wanted to check out, but it was a _timely_ thing, and she didn’t want to travel alone. It was _just_ the next town over, so it wouldn’t be out of their way, and she even had a Pokemon for Lance.

“Since you’ve had Geodude for months now, that makes this perfect!” he says, voice brimming with confidence. “We’re leaving a little earlier than expected, but what’s a month or two anyway?”

Hunk shifts uncomfortably.

“Do we have to leave so early in the morning? Can’t we at least, wait and tell everyone goodbye--”

“No _way_ , Hunk. Nobody can know about this, because _your mom_ will tell _my mom_ and my mom will totally freak out, and then it’ll be like three days before I can leave because my mom will have to make sure I’m fully prepared -- or _whatever_ \-- and then Pidge will miss her deadline and be totally mad at us.”

Hunk frowns the entire time, but in the end, he agrees.

/

“It’s a Shinx,” Pidge explains, after Lance had released the Pokemon from the ball. Shinx rolls around in the patch of daisies. “A Pokemon from Sinnoh. My dad sent her to me as a gift, but… As long as you promise to take care of her, I don’t mind giving her to you.”

“Pidge,” Lance had said, “This. Is. _So_. Cool.”

“She’s an electric type--”

“What!” Lance suddenly stands up, causing Shinx to go tumbling off of him. He hadn’t even noticed she had crawled onto his lap. “Pidge! That’s so awesome, do you know who else had an electric-type starter!?”

Pidge opens her mouth, but he abruptly cuts her off.

“That’s right! _Only the most famous trainer of all time_.” he gives a satisfied huff, before reaching down and gathering the squirming Shinx into his arms. She mewls.

“I’m going to take the best care of this Pokemon ever. Me and her will have a bond like no one’s ever seen.”

“I sure hope so.” Pidge says, but she looks doubtful. Lance sticks his tongue out at her.  
“Just you watch. She’ll be right at my side when we take on the Elite Four.”

“Alright, alright, I get it.” Pidge brushes herself off as she stands, adjusting her lab coat. “Anyway, you got your starter, so about _my side_ of the deal…”

/

Lance does feel guilty when he gets back from Hunk’s. Knowing that he has an awesome Pokemon that all his siblings would fawn over is almost enough to make him want to show her off -- But it’s too risky. He keeps Shinx tucked safely in her Pokeball, in his pocket, and tries to think instead about the way her blue fur stood out against the yellows of the daisies.

It’ll all be worth it, anyway, when he becomes Champion. When he climbs the ranks, sends his mother his winnings, and their family can finally move into a house that has enough rooms for everybody. It’ll _all be worth it_.

His anticipation keeps him from sleeping, and since they’re _leaving_ at like 5AM he spends the night packing things up -- just the bare necessities, a few extra clothes -- and shoves them in a worn-out backpack before leaving out the living room window.

He’s a little early, but maybe Pidge and Hunk couldn’t sleep either because they’re already waiting for him by the town sign. He finds it _increasingly_ hard to keep quiet as they sneak out of the town together, thinking about all the things they’re going to see, and do, and _finally_ Lance lets it all out once Viridian is firmly in sight and the sky starts getting just a little bit brighter.

“How hard do you think you need to train for the first gym? I haven’t battled anyone yet, is it too early for other trainers to be out? _Pidge_ , Shinx _will_ listen to me, right?”

“Lance,” Pidge responds, her voice dangerously even, “I am not a morning person. If you ask me one more question I’m going to spray a repel all over myself and then agitate a Beedrill nest, making sure you’re standing directly under it.”

Hunk and Lance share _a look_.

But it isn’t long, as the birds start coming out of hiding and the sun can be spotted over the tops of the trees surrounding them, that other trainers start waking up too.

And everyone knows the age-old rule: _if two trainers lock eyes, they must battle_.

/

The first thing Lance learns about Shinx is that she’s _fast_. He calls her out of her Pokeball, and after a brief moment of confusion, she’s raring to go. She’s _so_ quick on her feet that Lance actually has a hard time keeping up with her. Dodging comes easily, but Lance’s own inexperience with battling mean he’s fumbling the attacks and not paying attention to his opponent.

He wins his first Pokemon battle, but only just. Shinx is barely standing by the end -- the enemy Rattata had finally managed to get a few good hits in despite her speed -- and Lance recalls her in a total panic as the trainer comes forward and counts out the winnings into his hand.

Suddenly he’s rushing, trying to get to Viridian as fast as he can to heal his Shinx, and Pidge and Hunk are left scrambling to keep up.

(Later, as they’re out of breath and all standing in the Center, Pidge reminds Lance that he had gotten a few potions from a man who had spotted the group earlier, and that would have worked _just as well_. _Oops_.)

“At least we made good time,” Pidge says, dryly, as Lance releases Shinx from her ball and apologizes to her over and over. She mews in response, her golden eyes looking amused and ears twitching.

“... I think we both have a lot to learn about each other.” he says to her, thinking about all the interviews with the current Champion he’d see on TV.

(“ _How did you do it?” they would ask._

“ _You just have to trust and love your Pokemon,” he would always answer._

And someday, when Lance is the one answering those questions, he’ll repeat those words too.)

Shinx purrs and rubs against his legs.

/

The days that go by turn into a week, turn into a week and a half and Pidge is already long gone. She leaves in as much as a hurry as the three of them had left, and Hunk gives her a confused look.

“Weren’t you here for something specific?”

She smirks at him. “If you weren’t paying attention when I was gone for that half a day, I guess you already missed it.”

But she had apparently found what she had came for, and the longer she was away from the lab the more anxious she got. They say goodbye to her outside of the Center, and she hugs them tightly before giving a lopsided grin.

“Start catching more Pokemon, okay? I want to hear all the details of your exciting adventures.”

Shinx leaps from Lance’s side onto Pidge’s shoulder, making a sad chitter. Pidge scratches her between her ears and laughs.

“Don’t worry, girl. You and Lance are going to make a kick-ass team.”

/

Once Pidge is gone, Lance focuses fully on training, challenging every trainer he meets that will agree to take him on. He wins every single time, and he isn’t sure if it’s because he has such a rare Pokemon and it catches everyone else off guard, or if he’s really just getting _that_ good. Still, the streak goes straight to his head, and the longer he stays in Viridian the more he hears people talking about him.

It’s _awesome_.

He’s so caught up in the hype, defeating new trainers day-after-day, that he doesn’t notice Hunk avoiding eye-contact with other trainers, struggling in battles, constantly carrying around a million potions. He only sees Hunk’s eyes light up as they sit in the center together and he tells stories of the epic battles he had that day -- _mostly_ all true, of course.

But the longer they stay there, the antsier Lance gets. They’re only one town away from home, and to be honest, his mother could come up here at any moment --

So they pack up their things and move on, past Viridian and onto Pewter.

/

And of course, the first thing Lance does is challenge the Gym. He calls Pidge from the center before he leaves to inform her, and she scowls when he says that it’s still just him and Shinx.

But none of the other wild Pokemon he had come across really seemed that _good_ , and besides, somehow it just doesn’t… Feel right. Not that he intends on only having Shinx _forever_ , but this? He had been working so hard, day and night with her, that _this_ test feels like his and Shinx’s alone.

To Pidge’s credit, she was right. It does end up being harder than Lance had expected. He had been wiping the floor with other trainers -- ever since he got Shinx’s way of battling down, they just kind of clicked together -- But it’s Rolo’s team of three against Lance’s team of one, and even though he _does_ still win, he hasn’t had a battle that close since his very first one. Shinx is even panting by the end.

But a win is a win, and Shinx hops around excitedly with what little energy she has left. Lance scoops her up into his arms, and she climbs up to perch onto his shoulders as Rolo approaches.

“‘S funny. Haven’t seen a trainer as strong as you in awhile -- beatin’ me with one Pokemon and all -- or, that’s what I _would_ say, except someone just came through my gym yesterday.” he counts the winnings out into Lance’s palm, and drops the badge on top of them like a weight to hold it down. Lance frowns. “You have a way with your Shinx there, for sure, but that kid… Man. He and his Arcanine were something else.”

Lance crinkles his nose up. Not that he thinks he’s the best trainer on Earth or anything (not _yet_ , at least,), but nobody has bested him yet. And to hear a gym leader praise _someone else’s_ skills when _you_ were the one they were handing a badge over to?

He can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

“I haven’t met anyone with an Arcanine yet.” Lance says, trying to keep his voice as disinterested-sounding as he can. Rolo grins, shrugs.

“Well, his name was Keith and he had on a red jacket, longish black hair. Probably can’t miss him.” there’s a beat of silence, and the Rolo grins, as if he knows _exactly_ what he’s starting-- “I bet a battle between the two of you would be pretty entertaining, at least.”

/

“... And then he just starts going on about some other trainer! Right when he was handing over _my_ battle winnings!” Lance complains, mostly to Hunk now that Shinx has run off to socialize with the other Pokemon. At some point, Hunk had caught a Pidgey _and_ a Pikachu. When had he done that?

The Center they’re in is the busiest he’s ever seen one, with an impending rain-storm on the horizon. Hunk shifts uncomfortably.

“Well, I mean…” he starts, and then trails off, as if he isn’t sure how exactly to phrase what he wants to say. Lance’s eyebrows go up. “You know you’re not the strongest out there, right? You’re _good_ , but--”

“I never said I was the _strongest_ ,” Lance interrupts, agitated that his own best friend wasn’t immediately agreeing with him. “But I will be! I mean, this is just one person’s opinion.”

Hunk makes a face, but Lance continues before he can say anything. His face goes from irritated to determined, before finally landing on smug.

“And I mean, what does one measly gym leader that I took out with a single Pokemon _really_ know? I bet it was just a fluke, or something, that this other kid beat him so easily.”

“Who exactly are you trying to convince…” Hunk mumbles, but Lance ignores him. Suddenly, his eyes look… _Dangerously_ bright.

“You know what I have to do?” he says, and his voice is raising with every word. “I have to -- I have to battle this guy myself! And _then_ we’d see who was really stronger!”

The nurse at the counter looks about two seconds away from sending them a warning “ _shhhh_ ”, but before she gets the chance to stomp over to them, Lance hears his Shinx yelp from across the Center.

In an instant, Lance is out of his seat and scanning the room for her. He spots her underneath an Arcanine that’s got her pinned down, and he’s about to yell when a voice interrupts him from behind.

“They were just playing. Don’t you know anything about how Pokemon act?”

Lance whips around to be met face-to-face with some kid around his age, jet black hair, red jacket.

He thinks he sees something flicker in the other’s eyes as he takes him in, but he doesn’t have time to be questioning about stupid things like that, because his mind is working at a million miles a minute.

Arcanine?

Red jacket?

Black. Hair.

“ _Keith_!”

The other looks taken aback for a second, before his face falls again. He frowns, a firm look that seems to fit him.

“Do I know you?”

“Well,” Lance laughs, trying to give off his most menacing and cocky attitude he possibly could. Keith doesn’t look impressed. “You do now.” he stomps over to where Arcanine has already rolled off of Shinx, and scoops her up. She reacts to Lance’s change in mood, static discharge causing her fur to stand up, and she glares at Keith in a way that’s freakishly similar to Lance’s own gaze. Keith doesn’t seem to know which face to stare at more.

“I’m Lance, and I’m challenging you to a Pokemon battle.”

There’s a heady silence where Keith doesn’t respond, and the Lance realizes that the entire center had been watching the whole thing unfold. Keith opens his mouth to respond, but the Nurse behind the desk cuts him off first:

“Not in _here_ , you _aren’t_!”

/

Lance gets completely and utterly _stomped_.

Shinx is light on her feet, sure, and Lance is attuned to the way she moves by now. But Keith’s Arcanine is _relentless_ \-- complete and pure _offensive_ \-- and Lance has never seen anyone who battles so… Recklessly.

For the first time, Lance sees Shinx struggling to keep up. Arcanine is a constant barrage of attacks, with hardly any break in-between, and Lance doesn’t even know how Keith could _possibly_ be thinking that quickly on his feet. He isn’t even so sure it’s any kind of strategy at _all_ , as much as it is Keith just trying to knock Shinx out as fast as he can.

And the worst part is, it’s totally working.

Shinx manages to get in a few good hits at the beginning of their fight, but there’s no way she can keep this up. The final straw happens when Keith commands a flamethrower at the ground, and suddenly Shinx has nowhere to land. She leaps around, desperate to keep her paws off the burning floor, and Arcanine slams into her mid-air and sends her flying toward Lance’s feet. She’s out cold.

Lance _cannot_ _believe this_.

The first raindrop falls as he recalls Shinx into her ball, and the small crowd they had managed to gather -- mostly made up of people from inside the Center -- are deathly silent. Lance is reeling as he counts out the money, and hands them over to Keith.

“... You ruined my winning streak.” Lance says. Keith blinks.

“You’re the one who challenged _me_.”

Lance gapes at him for a few more seconds, before he suddenly seems to come to his senses. Shoving the money roughly into Keith’s hands, he scowls.

“And _I’m_ _going_ to beat you,” he hisses, “Because _I’m going_ to be Champion.”

Keith doesn’t say anything back, just watches as Lance storms off to the Pokemon center before the raindrops turn into sheets.

/

Despite their incredibly short time in Pewter, Lance insists on moving ahead to Cerulean as quickly as they can. They have to make their way through the cave, but Hunk ( _Arceus bless his soul_ ) is prepared for this, and brings snacks for the road.

They end up not being able to make it all in one day. When they finally bust out of the cave, flinching at the sunlight that went from _rising_ to _setting_ just while they were inside, Lance decides he’s too beat to be able to make it to Cerulean that night. Hunk agrees, and they make camp just outside the cave exit.

As they sit down to rest, Lance lets Shinx out from her ball. She bounces around, ecstatic and nuzzling up to him. Lance… Suddenly feels a bit guilty.

Why doesn’t he just _always_ keep her out?

His mind wanders back to Keith, and just the thought of the other teen makes him grit his teeth. _Arcanine_ is always out, walking alongside him. Is _that_ why they’re so in-tune with each other?

“You look like you’re about to snap that twig in half,” Hunk comments, and Lance looks down at his hands. There’s a tree branch he’s gripping _very_ firmly, bending it to a near-breaking point.

He chucks the stick away from them like it’s burned his hand. Rattata swat at it like it’s dangerous. Another new Pokemon Hunk just caught, despite the fact that he never battles. Huh.

He looks back toward Hunk, who’s popping a berry into his mouth and staring back at Lance with a raised eyebrow.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

Lance taps his fingers on the ground, sends another look out to where Shinx and Hunk’s four other Pokemon were playing together.

“... I think I should catch another Pokemon.”

Hunk _hmms_ in understanding as he eats another berry.

And then it hits Lance.

_Literally_.

Lance is sent forward by the impact of -- _something_ \-- hitting his back, knocking the air out of him and nearly causing him to get _grass stains_ on his _face_. Hunk lets out a startled noise, eyes wide as the projectile rolls past him.

“What--!?”

Lance jerks his head back up, ready to yell at whatever had attacked him, but stops mid-sentence when he spots it.

“Whoa,” Hunk says, and the… _Thing_ in question looks at him, makes a very disgruntled noise. Hunk puts his hands up in surrender.

“Is… Is that a Marill?” Lance questions, and the blue Pokemon in front of him turns it’s attention back to Lance and scowls.

(Lance, for the record, did not even realize Marill _could_ scowl.)

“Hunk!” Lance shouts, jumping to his feet. “Hunk, this is it! This is a sign!”

“Really? Looks like a Pokemon to me.” he replies. Lance shakes his head, pulling out a pokeball.

“This is how I _beat Keith_!” he yells, and as if it can just sense what he’s talking about, the Marill rears up to tackle him again.

Lance narrowly dodges it this time, skirting to the side. He sends Hunk a panicked look.

“Dude! I thought Pokemon weren’t supposed to attack humans?”

Hunk has scooted as far back from the action as he can get. “Uh, maybe ones with better attitudes!”

Marill is back on it’s feet, recovered from the missed attacks earlier, but before Lance can move out of the way again Shinx hops up behind him. She uses his shoulder as a springboard, nearly throwing off Lance’s balance in the process. She lands squarely between Lance and Marill, static flying off of her raised fur.

“Don’t hurt it too bad!” Lance calls out. Her tail swishes in irritation, claws unsheathed and digging into the Earth, but she still stays put. Marill glares daggers back, unintimidated. “Just… Can you just try and paralyze it?”

Shinx doesn’t need any more direction than that. She swiftly avoids the jet of water Marill sends her way, tackling the other Pokemon with a small burst of electricity. She jumps out of the way just in time for Lance to throw the ball.

It shakes once,

Then twice,

And stops with an affirming _click_.

/

The nearest Pokemon center is still a bit of a ways, so Lance borrows one of Hunk’s Paralyze Heals. He releases Marill, who manages to look completely pissed off even _while_ incapable of moving.

“Don’t bite me, okay?” he says, before bending down to administer the medicine.

To Marill’s credit, even as she gains back movement, she doesn’t attempt to attack him. Lance sets down some food in front of her: Shinx goes immediately for it, but Marill doesn’t move until _both_ Lance and Shinx aren’t watching anymore.

Lance sighs, sagging into the side of the mountain face.

“You’re the one who wanted to catch the Pokemon that barrelled into you at top speed with the intent to maim.” Hunk points out.

“Oh, shut up.” Lance says.

/

It’s an uphill battle with Marill.

Lance doesn’t want to take on the Cerulean gym until he knows he’s ready, and she isn’t making that any easier. She’s not outright antagonistic, anymore, but that hardly matters when she won’t cooperate either. He can’t get her to trust him -- not when she won’t listen, and because of _that_ she’s constantly getting hurt in battles. It’s a good thing that Shinx loves him so much, or he’d be handing over _everything_ he had earned in the last town through these battles he’d be losing.

“I wish I knew what Pokemon were thinking.” he says, eyeing Marill’s Pokeball. Shinx purrs next to him, curled up on a pillow in the Pokemon center. “I _never_ have trouble with Shinx, but…”

Hunk hums thoughtfully.

“Maybe she doesn’t like battling,” he suggests.

Lance considers this silently. The way she had barreled at him the first time they met, he had just assumed -- a fighter’s spirit, right? But, then again, maybe…

… Maybe they just didn’t make a good fit for each other.

Maybe she _would_ be better off without him.

/

He beats the next gym without her. Shinx is tired by the end of it, but she’s tough, and used to cleaning up after Marill at this point. Lance doesn’t bring out Marill at all for the entire battle.

He takes note of the second-most recent name on the placard as he exits the gym, right next to where they’re putting his own. _Keith_.

/

Lance doesn’t want to linger around Cerulean for much longer once he’s got what he came for. He’s wasted so much time already, weeks with Marill, and Hunk knows this -- already has their stuff packed to go. Lance tells him he wouldn’t know what he’d do without him.

(Hunk is strangely quiet at that, but Lance brushes it off.)

“I’ll be right back,” Lance says, just before they leave, shaking his head when Shinx tries to follow him. She mewls -- upset? Concerned? -- but lets him walk away without following. He misses the rhythmic sound of her paws padding along beside him, even if it’s only a brief walk.

Reluctantly, he sets at the edge of the Nugget bridge and releases Marill from her ball. She blinks, looks around confused, and Lance sighs.

“Go,” he says, pointing toward the water. It’s calm over here, peaceful with the city being behind them. She sends him an annoyed look, and he scowls back at her. “Go! It’s obvious -- you don’t want to be here. I’m not the kind of trainer to force you to do something you don’t want, and you’ll be happier in the wild. Here.”

He abruptly stands up, ignoring Marill’s angry cries as he walks away. His shoulder brushes against someone as he retreats, and he’s so caught up and upset with himself that he almost doesn’t realize it’s Keith.

_Almost_.

“Make a habit of eavesdropping?” Lance asks, dryly. Keith shoots him a look that Lance can’t read at all, his face conflicted, before he opens his mouth and then shuts it again.

“Good choice.” Lance says, no humor in his voice. He walks the rest of the way back to where Hunk and Shinx are waiting, blinking back tears.

/

The _next_ time he meets Keith he actually thinks he’s going to die.

He’s walking through the streets of Saffron, minding his own business (and also doing a little exploring -- this is the biggest city he’s ever _seen_ , after all,) when a hand snakes out from behind a dark alley, grabbing him and pulling him into it. He opens his mouth to scream but the kidnapper is one step ahead of him, smothering his mouth and _holy shit this was it_. End of the line for Lance, Team Rocket got him, sure to do--

Well, whatever it was they did to humans. He didn’t really know.

“Shh!” the voice hisses, and Lance starts praying. Tell his mama he’s sorry he never called, tell his brothers--

“It’s just _me_.” the voice whispers, before releasing him, and Lance gapes.

“ _Keith_!?”

He whips around and, despite the fact that he’s dressed up like he’s going to _rob someone’s house_ , he would recognize that stupid hair anywhere. Lance scowls. “You know, between the eavesdropping and the -- the _random kidnapping_ \--” he hisses, “I’m beginning to think you were raised by Pokemon or something--”

“ _Shh_!” Keith warns again, but Lance persists,

“Because, seriously, do you have any semblance of-- _mmph_!”

“Listen to me,” Keith says, hand suddenly back over Lance’s mouth, and Lance is suddenly very aware of Keith’s voice low and directly in Lance’s ear. He feels… Very…

Overwhelmed.

“Your Marill’s in trouble,” Keith says, and Keith is definitely way too close to Lance for this to be comfortable for either of them. Lance is having trouble processing his words.

“What--”

“She followed you after you left her behind and got caught by a couple Team Rocket members,” he whispers, and suddenly Lance is pulling away.

He released her to the wild -- so she wasn’t _his_ Pokemon anymore, but--

But _still_ \--

“How do we--” he stops, lowers his voice at Keith’s hissed ‘ _shh_ ’. “ _How do we get her back then_?”

“We go into their base,” Keith replies, as if it’s something he does everyday. Lance splutters, but suddenly Keith is pushing him down some stairs he didn’t know even existed a second ago--

(What a terrible day to leave Shinx behind, _seriously_.)

After nearly falling down a few steps, they end up in what Lance can only assume is some kind of _very_ brightly lit basement.

He’s got about a mountain of questions on his mind, one of the most pressing being why Keith looks around corners and ducks down hallways like he’s _memorized_ the place as they move. His mind spinning is spinning -- still, he knows now is not the time to be asking questions. A sudden, forced stealth mission _never is_ \-- and he follows Keith because, to be honest, he doesn’t have any other options. This place is like a maze.

It’s creepy and it smells kind of musty, like there was water leaking in from somewhere, but the harsh florescent lights keep it from being dungeon-like. They light up the bright white walls, and Lance thinks if he spent too long down here he’d probably get a headache.

They manage to sneak around undetected, moving at a steady pace until Keith suddenly stops in front of a wide metal door. He puts a steady hand over his Pokeball holster, and Lance notes that he has _two_ Pokemon now.

Huh.

“Are you ready?” Keith asks, and Lance gives a few panicked gestures to his empty holster. Keith’s eyes grow wide as he spots the empty belt, and he curses under his breath. “ _Why_ don’t you have your Pokemon on you?”

“Uh,” Lance starts, trying to keep his voice as low as possible, “because I wasn’t expecting to, I don’t know, _break into the mafia’s secret creepy lab_?”

Before Keith can remind him to _shut up_ , the distinct sound of shattering glass and people yelling from behind the door cuts him off. Keith tears his gaze away from Lance, raising up a foot and busting in the door.

_It had a handle_ , Lance thinks bitterly, _he didn’t have to do that_.

There’s _so much_ going on in the room that Lance isn’t even quite sure what he’s looking at. There are Pokemon in cages, scientists holding vials of something, scientists looking totally shell-shocked, shattered glass on the floor--

And Marill in the middle of all the chaos, absolutely _kicking ass_.

Lance feels a huge surge of pride as his Pokemon, surrounded on all sides by Voltorbs and Crobats, holds her own. Water jet here, tackle there, she’s surprisingly agile.

Keith is quicker on the uptake than Lance is, and wastes no time throwing out Arcanine. She’s next to Marill in a second, and together with their fire and water attacks they look…

_Unstoppable_ , Lance thinks. Two opposite elements come together, who would have thought?

Keith is calling out attacks, directing Arcanine, and Lance finds himself doing the same.

And to his great surprise,

Marill _listens_.

“Stupid water rodent--” a scientist hisses, just as a well-timed water gun takes out their last Pokemon. The numbers dwindle as the scientists retreat, but Lance is worried. Marill’s doing well, but looking more and more ragged, and--

He can’t believe he just _gave up_ on her like that. ‘ _Not a battler’_ his ass.

When the last scientist has finally turned tail and ran, Keith grabs Lance by the wrist and tugs. “We have to get out of here. _Now_.”

Lance resists, though, feet planted firmly on the linoleum tile. He sends a backward glance to the Pokemon still locked up, in cages and and behind glass--

“We can’t just leave them,” he protests, and Keith sighs as his eyes dart from the door to the trapped Pokemon.

Lance isn’t sure if he ever really thought Keith was a bad guy -- annoyingly good at battling, maybe, but did he ever think he was a bad _guy_? -- but when Keith snaps, “We have to hurry,” and moves toward the cages, Lance knows he isn’t.

… And then he starts to panic. How are they going to get them all out, why was Keith in such a hurry, did he know something Lance _didn’t_ \-- but just as his mind starts to run away with a million scenarios in which they all die, Marill whaps him with her tail and jangles the keys hanging from them.

“Good girl,” he says, plucking them off of her, and Marill lets out a pleased noise. He unlocks the cages, one by one, finishing up the last just as footsteps echo down the hall.

They escape through another route that Keith seems to know by heart yet again, Pokemon behind them, and the sun is setting by the time they’re outside. It’s an oddly peaceful sight, for all they just went through, and Lance slumps against the side of a building once they’re _firmly_ in the safe zone. Keith collapses next to him, sitting on the hard city pavement, and together they watch as the Pokemon scatter off in different directions one-by-one.

“I hope… They all get back to wherever they need to go safely.” Lance says, and Keith nods.

“They all belong to trainers. I’m sure most of them are still in this city.”

Lance looks at Keith as he says that, framed by the orange glow of the setting sun. “How do you know that?”

“They wouldn’t have kept them in cages instead of Pokeballs otherwise.” he says, and Lance guesses… Yeah, that makes _sense_ , but there’s something about him knowing that that shakes him up. Lance has so many questions he wants to ask Keith, most of it relating to what happened earlier, but--

Instead, his eyes catch on the other Pokeball hanging off of Keith’s belt.

“Who’s your new partner?”

Keith blinks at him, a hand instinctively ghosting over the ball hanging at his side.

And then, for the first time he’s ever seen, Keith smiles.

“I’ll show you next time we meet. A battle against _each other_ , this time.”

Lance blinks at him, mouth hanging open, before Keith tosses an empty Pokeball his way.

“For your Marill,” he explains, only a slight grin on his face now. “I know you crushed her original one.”

And then he walks off, Arcanine beside him, and Lance watches his retreating back until Marill makes a noise that sounds _pointedly_ annoyed.

“What? Oh, sorry,” he says, finally breaking his gaze away from Keith. He leans down, Pokeball in hand. “You’re… Sure, though? This is what you want?”

Marill answers him with a roll of her eyes before she touches the center of the ball and disappears inside.

It doesn’t even shake at all this time.

/

“ _Dude_.” Hunk says, gaping as Lance relays his story of the day’s events back to his best friend. “You went into a Team Rocket base, and made it back out!?”

Shinx is curled up protectively in Lance’s lap, and he’s pretty certain that she’s never going to let him go anywhere alone _ever again_. The Saffron City Pokemon Center is surprisingly empty tonight, and this one is big enough to have extra rooms for them to stay in.

“Yep.” Lance says, feeling smug. “And I mean, we freed like thirty Pokemon at least -- so that’s for sure gotta be a blow to their organization, right? I thought their numbers were dwindling pretty badly anyway, after being crushed twice.”

Hunk nods. “Yeah, you really did a good thing. I hope they all got back to their trainers.”

“Me too,” Lance agrees, stroking Shinx’s fur. “I mean, I’m practically more useful than the police here!”

Hunk laughs at that, and makes a noise of agreement, and then they’re silent again for a moment, until he speaks again.

“... You know, you seem to handle yourself pretty well.” Hunk comments, and Lance tilts his head.

“Well, I mean, yeah.”

Hunk stares at him seriously. “So… I was thinking.”

“Oh. Don’t hurt yourself doing that.”

He rolls his eyes and gives Lance a good-natured shove, laughing before continuing. “No, seriously, Lance. I think… I’m going to go to Hoenn and be a coordinator.”

Lance freezes, his smile dropping. He blinks for a moment, waiting for Hunk to take it back, and then frowning when he doesn’t.

“What?” he sits up a little straighter, giving Hunk a serious look. “What… What’re you talking about? Hunk, buddy, this is _our_ _adventure_ here.”

Hunk looks thoughtful for a moment, and Lance takes the time to babble on, “and, what about your dream? Kanto Champion? We were gonna face off against each other, come on, we’ve talked about this since we were kids!”

Hunk frowns. “... Lance, I don’t even battle anymore.”

Lance opens his mouth to protest, before shutting it again. He’s right. Lance can’t even remember the last time he saw Hunk battling anything but a wild Pokemon, and he only ever did that if he wanted to catch it.

“And besides,” Hunk continues, a hint of sadness in his voice, “Let’s be honest -- this is more your adventure. … And.” he pauses, chewing on his cheek, choosing his words carefully. “Is it really _me_ you see, facing off against for Champion?”

Lance’s mouth feels dry when he realizes _no_ , _it isn’t_ , not anymore, not when he envisions it now.

When did that even _change_?

“It’s okay, Lance.” Hunk says. “You’re really good at battling, and I think I could be really good at contests. And then we can both have our dreams, no compromises.”

And, really, what right does Lance have to take that away from Hunk anyway?

/

Hunk sets up the flight, but it’s still nearly a month away so they travel onto Vermillion. Hunk cheers Lance on as he wins his third gym badge.

“I’m going to be sad that I won’t be able to cheer _you_ on during contests,” Lance says, and Hunk shrugs.

“Just make sure you call me a lot, and that’s all the moral support I’ll need from my best friend.”

They loop back around to make their way to Viridian, the only city in Kanto with an airport, tracing their steps all the way back. It hasn’t been a year yet but it feels like a lifetime, and Lance has only _just_ got his third badge. They laugh when they pass by where he caught Marill, and he scowls when they pass by the Pokemon center where Keith kicked his ass in a battle.

When they finally arrive, Pidge is already there waiting for them.

“Aww!” she says, when she sees Marill. She leans down and gathers the Pokemon into her arms, cuddling her. “So round! And squishy…”

Marill lets out a happy squeal, and Lance points at her in betrayal.

“Traitor!” he says, looking scandalized. “Why are you so nice to _her_!? Last time I tried to hug you you squirted water in my face!”

Marill responds by doing exactly that, again. Pidge cackles, delighted, as Lance curses.

“Guys, _seriously_ ,” Hunk says, looking more and more anxious by the second, “My plane leaves in like, 10 minutes.”

“Okay, okay,” Pidge pouts, moving Marill to the side of her hip like she’s holding a beach ball, tucked between her side and her arm. Lance marvels at it, because if he ever tried that he’d get a tail directly to the face. “Hunk…”

She pauses for a moment, chewing on what she’s about to say as she considers her words. Finally, she breaks out into a huge grin. “Knock ‘em all dead! You’re going to be an awesome coordinator, I just know it.”

Lance smacks him firmly on his back with the palm of his hand, grinning. “But when you’re big-time, remember where you came from. Don’t forget us little people!”

Hunk laughs. “And that goes for you too, Mr. Soon-To-Be-Champion.”

Lance bows, “aw, _shucks_ ,” and all three of them laugh.

After a moment of complete and total silence, Lance throws his arms around Hunk. Pidge follows suit, and then it’s just three kids in the airport dogpiling on each other.

“Good luck, you big genius.” Lance says, trying not to show the strain in his voice from trying so hard to keep it even. Even Pidge was blinking far faster than normal, forcing back tears.

“You, too,” Hunk says, smiling. “Both of you, ‘cause Pidge, I know you’re just about to usurp the Professor’s throne for sure.”

She grins, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, and Lance realizes that it’s longer since the last time he saw her.

“I do my best,” she says, winking.

“And Lance…” Hunk says, pausing dramatically. Lance figures it’s probably for effect. “... Have fun with your _rival_.”

Lance blinks, and then laughs -- because _yeah_ , he guesses rival is a pretty fitting thing for what Keith is, even if he had always imagined growing up that it would be Hunk instead. Pidge gives both of them a confused look, but then Hunk grabs them both and squeezes them so tight they think they might die, before letting them go and giving them one big final grin.

/

It takes awhile to get used to not having Hunk’s presence around. He keeps doing dumb things -- turning around to say something to him, or even worse, forgetting to pack enough berries and Pokefood before he sets out again, resulting in one very grumpy team.

But all it takes is time, and after a few weeks he’s basically made the adjustment. He still misses Hunk -- particularly at night, when he’s camping or at Pokemon Centers. But his Pokemon make all the difference… Including the new one, that’s kind of thrust upon him as he enters Celadon City.

A child runs up to him practically the moment he walks in, and for a second Lance thinks the kid wants to battle. But then she grins up at him, holding a fluffy brown Pokemon in her arms and says “Mister, you’re a trainer, right? My Pokemon had babies and my mom says I need to find good trainers to give them away to!”

And that’s how he ends up with Eevee, who _both_ his Pokemon find annoying as he swats at their tails, pounces on Marill, and tugs on Shinx’s ears.

_Personally_ , he finds it adorable. Shinx growls at him when he voices this opinion out loud.

“So, what do you guys think?” he asks them, the trio spread out in front of him in the Pokemon center lobby. “Ready to earn that fourth gym badge?”

“Hardly,” Lance hears from behind him, and at the sound of the familiar voice he cranes his head around. Shinx flattens her ears down at the other trainer, but perks back up upon seeing his Arcanine. Lance takes note of this, raising an eyebrow at the affectionate way the two Pokemon bump their noses together.

“When did this happen?” he asks, scandalized, and Keith shrugs.

“Just because they battle each other, doesn’t make them mortal enemies.”

Lance considers this silently.

“Anyway,” Keith continues, “You know the gym here is grass-type, right? You have one electric type, one water type, and…” his eyes rest on Eevee, who simply tilts his head. “One untrained newborn.”

“Uh, excuse you,” Lance says, picking up Eevee and cradling the brown Pokemon in his arms. “This handsome boy is our ticket to victory.”

“Okay.” Keith says. “Then battle me.”

Lance notices the newest ball on his holster. “3-on-3?”

“3-on-3.”

They move outside the Pokemon Center and Lance tosses up the first ball before Keith does, throwing out his arm to stop Shinx from running onto the field.

“Later,” he mouths, and Shinx takes a few steps back as Marill pops out of her ball, ready to go.

Keith raises an eyebrow, but Arcanine takes the field anyway.

“Really?” Lance asks, hoping his voice carries. “You’re going to use a _fire_ type?”

Keith takes advantage of Lance’s momentary surprise to call out the first attack, Arcanine tackling Marill so hard she goes flying backward. Lance grits his teeth as Marill hops back onto her feet, fire in her eyes.

“Cheater!” he yells out, before turning his attention back toward Marill. “Marill, all-out offensive water attacks! Let’s take this fire puppy out!”

In the end, it’s surprisingly even. Keith and Arcanine are still more attuned to each other, and Lance can’t deny that -- instead of making him mad this time, it leaves him a little bit in awe. They had to have been together for a long, _long_ time.

Water and fire meet together in an explosive display, leaving so much steam in the air that Lance can’t see the outcome for a few seconds. It finally clears -- and he realizes Marill is knocked out, and then looks beyond her to find Arcanine in much the same state.

They both recall their Pokemon, and when Shinx runs out onto the field _this_ time Lance doesn’t stop her.

Keith tosses out the next ball, and Lance’s eyebrows raise at the Vulpix that materializes from it.

“Huh,” he says, appraising the Pokemon, before _he_ takes advantage of the lull this time and commands the first attack.

His tactic works. The static off of Shinx’s fur paralyzes Vulpix, which gives him a few free hits before Vulpix manages to snap out of it.

Vulpix and Keith are clearly not as well practiced, not as in-time as he and Growlithe are, though they still put up a good fight. In the end, Shinx is just a bit quicker on her feet, and Keith is left recalling Vulpix when a well-timed Quick Attack knocks her out.

But the battle has taken it’s toll on Shinx, who is panting and struggling to stay upright, so he recalls her and throws out Eevee.

“You got this, boy,” he says, and Eevee twitches his ears back at him.

Keith grins, a small smile that almost looks sly, and then throws out his last Pokemon.

An Eevee pops out.

“Oh, come on.” Lance says.

It ends up being not much of a contest. Lance knows his Eevee has potential, but Keith’s has more battling experience. Lance pulls him out of the battle before he gets completely knocked out, conceding.

“Two of your Pokemon are still conscious,” Keith points out, and Lance scoffs.

“Yeah, and in no condition to battle.”

Keith _hmms_ to himself and recalls his Eevee.

“Anyway,” he says, “spend a little more time with your Eevee and he’ll be good to go.”

Lance _could_ take it as condescending advice, could _choose_ to get offended --

But, he doesn’t.

“Thanks.” he says, and gives Keith a grin. Keith looks away, suddenly bashful.

“... Whatever.” he says, and then,

“You’re a really good trainer too, Lance.”

/

Lance takes Keith’s advice and works with his Eevee, teaching it new moves he’s certain will be useful. One of his favorite parts of being a trainer is finding out his Pokemon’s individual strengths, and learning how to work with them. He’s never thought of himself as amazingly _smart_ , or anything, but figuring out strategies on the whim is half the thrill of a battle.

Eevee’s still so young that he can’t keep his attention and make him stay focused for more than a few battles at a time. But Lance is determined -- and so while Eevee learns how to concentration on one thing at a time, he learns patience. Instead of rushing to the gym a few days after arriving, like he had planned on, he ends up spending nearly a whole month in Celadon.

It turns out to be worth it. It’s a tough battle without any type advantages to speak of, and it’s a little closer than he’d personally like it to be, but a win _is_ a win.

This time, as he leaves the gym, he lets his fingers brush over Keith’s engraved name on the placard.

The Pokemon Gods are not with him that day, however -- or at least he used up all of his luck at the gym earlier, because despite it being near-perfect weather when he arrives, it starts hailing just as he starts off on the next route.

_This_ is another one of those times where he misses Hunk. _Hunk_ would have remembered to check the weather before they left, wouldn’t have let him leave in the first place. Lance briefly considers just… Hiding out underneath a tree or something, until it passes, but a rather sizeable piece of hail falls just shy of Shinx, landing at her feet, and she hisses at it. Lance sighs, recalling her into her ball, and makes a break back for Celadon city.

He’s being pelted the whole way there, holding up his bag as a temporary shield, hoping that the chunks of ice falling from the sky don’t rip any holes through. It isn’t until he gets to the Center that he realizes he _obviously_ wasn’t the only one to have the idea of taking shelter there for the night.

The place is packed, with the nurses scrambling to get people into rooms, and he has a sinking feeling in his gut that he’s going to end up sleeping on the lobby floor.

And then, Keith walks in. Lance isn’t even sure if he should be surprised. He gets the same look on his face that Lance had when he first arrived, the one of defeated _maybe I’ll catch a couch if I’m lucky_. He goes to stand behind Lance in line, and Lance turns around.

“You’re still around Celadon?” he asks. Keith shrugs.

“Been busy with… Stuff.”

Lance doesn’t ask for further elaboration.

“Well aren’t you two lucky,” the nurse at the counter says, giving them a serene smile. “There’s _one more_ room left.”

Keith and Lance share a glance.

/

When the nurse had said “one room left”, this wasn’t quite what Lance had in mind.

Or Keith, either, judging by the look he has on his face when he walks in and realizes it was a _single-bed_ room.

He shifts around on his feet, in a way that Lance can tell means he’s not entirely comfortable with this set-up -- and to be honest, Lance isn’t either. But there’s not enough room to even make a semi-comfortable pallet on the floor with a few spare blankets, with the bed practically spanning the entire room, so.

Together it was.

… Travelling trainers bunked together all the time, especially when they shared tents. And that was practically just as intimate. Right?

Lance presses a hand to his face, palm cupping his cheek, and sighs.

Keith doesn’t bother getting undressed, so neither does Lance, and they lay down with their backs facing each other. If it were any other situation, Lance might consider shooting off a million questions. Like, “ _do you always sleep with your regular clothes on?_ ” but Keith is such a weirdo he would probably say yes, and since when was Lance close enough to Keith that he could start _deducing whether or not he had pajamas_?

They lay there in silence for a few more minutes, (Lance shifting uncomfortably while Keith lays deathly still) and then Lance really can’t take it any more. His mind is way too busy for this, and the sound of hail hitting the side of the Center isn’t exactly a lullaby.

“I know you aren’t asleep either.” he says. Keith doesn’t respond, and for a second he almost thinks he’s wrong. He continues anyway, “And you know, I hardly know anything about you. Which is like, practically a crime, considering we’re rivals and all.”

Keith scoffs. Finally, confirmation he wasn’t _dead_. “Rivals?”

“... Yeah,” Lance answers softly, “Rivals.”

Keith doesn’t debate it further.

Lance turns around, leaning up on his arm to look at Keith’s back as he asks another question. “Why don’t I ever see you in Pokemon Centers at night?”

“The outdoors suit me just fine. Even benches in parks are okay.” he replies. “Do you even _ever_ camp?”

“Yes,” Lance snaps, hearing the disdain in Keith’s voice. “I just sleep in Pokemon centers when I’m in cities because-- well. That’s what they’re for, right? For trainers like us. Travelling.”

“I guess.” Keith says.

There’s a silence between them again, and Lance chews on his lip before asking his next question.

“When we were in that Rocket base…” he starts, and he feels Keith stiffen next to him, but he presses on anyway. “How did you know your way around so well?”

“... I’d been in there a few times before.” he says. “There were never that many people in there. I wasn’t that worried about getting caught.”

Lance’s mind races. He finds himself putting things together -- things he doesn’t quite _understand_ yet, but are there nonetheless.

Like how Celadon was kind of known for it’s Rocket population.

His next words slip out without warning, before he could even catch himself. “So unlike the bases here.” it’s not even phrased as a question.

“... Yeah.” Keith says, after a moment of silence. “Unlike the ones here.”

“But _why_?” Lance asks. “What’s your obsession with Team Rocket? They’re almost all practically gone, right? Only a few really dedicated people left--”

“I know.” he replies, and then he goes silent again. Apparently Keith isn’t too into elaborating. Lance chews on the inside of his cheek.

And then Keith surprises him, rolling over on his side so he’s facing Lance.

Suddenly, their proximity was _very_ obvious to Lance.

“I have a question for you.” he says. Lance swallows, nods, suddenly regrets not just excusing himself to the lobby and sleeping on the couch when he first saw the bed.

“What are you… Doing all this for?” Keith pauses. “I mean, the gyms, the battling, the Championship thing.”

Lance frowns at the question, eyebrows drawn in. It was his dream, right? Was that not an acceptable answer?

“... For my family?” he whispers, and Keith’s eyes observe him, even in the dark. He feels like that’s true, but there’s something missing. _Missing_?

Lance clears his throat. “I mean, for my family.” he says again, this time with more confidence. “I have a lot of brothers and sisters, and my mom could use all the help she can get. Having a son who was Champion would… Help a lot.”

Keith nods. “But what about yourself?”

Lance opens his mouth, shuts it, then opens it back up again. “I mean,” he gives a nervous laugh, “Of course I want to be Champion! Ever since I was a kid. Who wouldn’t want to be? It’s… You know. Famous.”

Lance swears Keith’s eyes are piercing into him. Maybe it’s just how close they are, but it’s almost as if Keith is searching for something. His mouth is pressed into a hard line.

“How old were you?”

“What?”

“How old were you when you decided you wanted to be Champion.” Keith clarifies. His eyes are still so, so serious. Lance blinks in confusion.

“I, um.” he says. “... Pretty young? Maybe… Six or seven? Ish?”

“So you don’t remember the exact moment.” it isn’t phrased as a question. Lance finally breaks his gaze away, looking to the side.

“... Not exactly. Why, do you? Do you remember the exact moment you decided you wanted to be Champion?”

“Yeah.” Keith says. He closes his eyes and turns back over, the covers shuffling around with him. “I do.”

Suddenly, Lance misses that intense gaze.

/

That night, Lance dreams of a little boy with black hair and his pet Growlithe that Lance is just _so_ jealous of.

“Me and her are going to become Kanto Champion,” the little boy tells him, as they sit in a patch of grass. They’re just outside of Pallet town, in the area covered by trees surrounding it. Lance doesn’t tell anyone about his new friend.

“That’s so cool.” Lance replies, stroking the Growlithe’s soft fur. “I don’t know anything about Pokemon.”

“They make good friends.” the other boy replies. Lance hums, thoughtfully, before nodding.

“Okay! Then I’m going to be come Champion too!” he says, resolutely. _Keith_ blinks at him, surprised, and then grins. It’s all teeth, big and wide and genuine.

“Guess we’ll battle each other at the very top, then.”

Lance wakes up, startled despite nothing of interest happening in the dream, and Keith is already gone.

/

Shinx evolves into Luxio in the middle of his battle for the fifth gym badge, and the edge it gives him is astounding. He mops the floor with the rest of the gym leader’s Pokemon, and walks out feeling like a _king_.

(Keith has been here. Lance checks the placard, wonders where he is now.)

He snuggles his face into Luxio’s new mane, laughing about how soft it is, as Luxio purrs at the praise.

“You all did great!” he tells his three Pokemon, and even Marill chirps in appreciation.

It’s been awhile, he thinks, since he last caught a Pokemon. It’s been awhile since he last saw Keith for that matter too. It’s been--

A whole year since he first left home.

The realization comes as a shock. He counts back the months in his head, twice and then three times just to make sure. He never called back home. He never even called _Hunk_. Pidge had been pushed to the back of his mind, too, and when they finally get back to the Pokemon center Lance slumps in the soft cushions of the couch.

He is just -- _seriously_ \-- the worst.

But Hunk’s the easiest to talk to, so he calls him first.

“Hunkalicious!” Lance says, as Hunk’s face appears on the screen, and he looks -- good. Really good. “How’s my main man doing?”

“Lance!” Hunk replies back, grinning. “Long time no see, champ-to-be.”

“Bonus points for rhyming.” he replies, winking at him. They both know Lance loves the praise. “Howzit in Hoeen? Nice and warm? Winning those ribbons?”

Hunk holds up his Pikachu in response, and Lance gasps.

“Oh my God, Hunk, it has a pink frilly dress on. That is one- _thousand_ percent, the best thing I’ve seen all day. Perhaps even all week.”

“ _Pii_!” Pikachu agrees, waving at him, Lance whistles.

“What a crowd pleaser. Bet people go wild over her.”

“She _is_ a fan-favorite.” Hunk says, placing Pikachu back on the ground. “So what about you? Beelining for the Elite Four?”

“Pfft.” Lance rolls his eyes. “Slow and steady wins the race, Hunk! I’m on my way to go pick up my 6th badge though.”

“Almost, then,” Hunk says, his eyes twinkling. Something about Hoenn really just… Suits him.

“Yeah,” Lance agrees. “... Almost.”

They talk for awhile longer -- Lance shows him, excitedly, how Shinx had evolved into Luxio. She shows off her mane proudly, and Hunk told him what being in contests really felt like.

At the end of the phone call, he almost dials home.

_Almost_.

But in the end, he decides against it. After all this time? He isn’t going to call, because he wants to see everyone in person.

And he isn’t going back until he’s named Champion.

All the more reason to train even harder.

/

“I brought some food out to you,” Seven year old Lance says, crouched in front of his new friend as he unfolds the napkin holding all the snacks together. “You just live on berries ‘n stuff, right? That’s not healthy. You’re missing out on dessert!”

Keith doesn’t say anything, just silently accepts the pastry and plops down next to him. Keith could be quiet sometimes, Lance didn’t mind. He talked enough for the two of them anyway.

“Hunk’s parents are from Alola, so they make things things--” he pauses to take a bite, gesturing at the pastries in front of them “-- Called Malasalads.”

Keith scrunches his nose up. “Mala _salads_?”

“Yup.” Lance says, popping the p. He’s 100% confident of his pronounciation. There’s a pause between them, as they both eat their sweets, before Lance speaks up again. His voice is quieter this time.

“... You don’t have to go, you know. My mom already has a lot of kids, so I’m sure she wouldn’t mind one more, if I told her about you.”

Keith swallows down the rest of his ‘malasalad’. “I can’t.” he says, quickly, and Lance sighs.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Because--”

“You hafta look for your parents.” Lance finishes for him, nodding. Keith averts his eyes. “‘S okay. I get it! Besides, I’m jealous. You’re practically already on a Pokemon adventure all by yourself!”

Keith smiles at that. “I’m waiting until I’m older to start battling, unless I have to. I don’t want Growlithe to get hurt.”

Lance nods. “Me too! I have to wait, anyway. But... that just means that tomorrow isn’t really goodbye. It’s…”

He looks down at Keith’s hand, pressing itself into the soft dirt floor of the forest. He considers putting his own on top of it, as a sign of comfort. But…

Instead, he places his hands on Keith’s shoulders.

“It’s just see ya later!”

/

He’s in Saffron when he finds the little magazine stand that has Hunk’s smiling face down in the corner, holding up his prized Pikachu.

“ _Upcoming coordinator from Kanto!? Page 49!_ ”

It’s overshadowed by the real main article -- something about the current Kanto Champion’s parents being involved with Rocket -- but he’s still so proud that he tears up anyway. He grabs one off the shelf, pays for it, and makes a promise to himself to keep it safe so he can frame it someday, or something. His precious Hunk’s _very first_ taste of fame.

He enters into the Pokemon Center and releases his team from their Pokeballs. His measly trio has turned a solid five Pokemon now (he got Scizor by trading some kid who was begging for the Abra he had just caught, and Psyduck kind of just… Followed him down an entire route until Lance finally turned around and asked if he wanted in a Pokeball.) and, all-in-all, he’s feeling pretty confident about his team.

He still hasn’t seen Keith since their last encounter at the Pokemon Center. He wonders how many Pokemon he’s got now.

Scizor’s temperamental, but has mellowed out a bit and doesn’t snap at the rest of his Pokemon anymore. He’s just restless sometimes, and despite being a newer addition to the team Lance fully trusts him to roam freely around the city.

Sometimes you just gotta stretch your wings. Lance gets it.

Psyduck, on the other hand, is _very_ attached. He’s also surprisingly competent in battle -- when he’s focused, he’s probably one of Lance’s strongest.

(Although they’re all strong -- Lance still has a winning streak a mile long, interrupted only by Keith, and random trainers who insist on battling when his team is already wiped. Lance would rather take the L, than push his team past their limits.)

He only struggles a little with this gym, but it’s just enough to remind him that he’s not on top of the world -- not yet, at least. It grounds him, slows him down, if even just for a little while. He spends more time exploring Saffron after that before moving on.

He’s moving down route 12, considering doubling back for more supplies, when there’s a splash in front of him and a hand appears off the side of the bridge. Lance watches, totally paralyzed -- _has a mermaid finally come to make all his dreams come true_!? -- when the body finishes dragging itself onto the wooden boards of the bridge, and Lance gapes.

It’s a _very_ wet Keith.

Luxio moves from Lance’s side to in front of him Keith’s face, sniffing tentatively at him. At the feeling, Keith sputters, jerking upright and looking around, eyes wild.

“Did you almost just _drown_?” Lance asks, because -- oh, come on. It’s not like he’s going to let his rival nearly drowning in front of him just go off the hook! What’d he do, _fall off the bridge_?

Keith visibly relaxes when he realizes who it is, and then raises an eyebrow at Luxio. Lance pats her.

“Yeah, she evolved because I’m such an ace trainer.” he says, looking smug. “But, seriously though. Are you okay?”

Keith sighs and leans back, flopping down on the hard wood bridge again. His clothes make a gross _squish-y_ noise that has Lance cringing. “‘M fine.”

“You’ve definitely looked better... Wait. Wait a minute.” he smirks. “Do you… Not know how to swim?” Lance asks, and Keith puts on a pouty face that’s decidedly--

_Cute_? Yeah, _cute_.

Baffled by his own train of thought, Lance almost doesn’t hear when Keith tells him to shut up. After a moment of silence -- too long, apparently, Luxio peeks up at him and mewls in confusion. He snaps back to reality, eyes drawn back to Keith, who’s still disgustingly moist.

Lance squats down beside him, resting on his haunches.

“I’d ask you for a battle,” he starts, “but you’re kind of soaking wet and look exhausted, so I’ll spare you.” he grins cheekily at Keith. “That’s just the kind of _awesome_ rival I am.”

Keith rolls his eyes, but surprisingly doesn’t say anything else. He must have been really wiped from… Whatever he had just gone through.

“Nice full team, by the way,” Lance says, eyeing how the last slot on his belt was full. Keith shakes his head, spraying bits of water into the air and landing in Luxio’s fur. She makes a disgruntled noise.

“One of them-- the newest one isn’t anywhere near ready for battle yet. So, really, it’s more like five. We’re even.”

Keith stands up suddenly, reaching out a hand for Lance to grab. He thinks about refusing -- dude’s still soaking wet, after all -- but grabs it anyway. Keith’s hand is kind of cold and clammy, but for some reason he has the urge to sort of… Link their fingers together anyway?

_Gross_ , the logical side of his brain tells him. _That’s disgusting_. But the idea is still there, planted firmly now because he _can’t stop thinking about it_ , and he gets so distracted that he doesn’t realize that he’s been holding onto Keith’s hand for far longer than what’s socially acceptable.

Lance snatches back his hand like Keith’s is on fire. Keith looks momentarily shocked -- but if he’s offended, he doesn’t let it show.

“A battle next time, for sure.” Keith says, and Lance tries to put his jitters away and hide them behind a smug look.

“Just don’t slack on your training.” he says, “After all, you’re the only real competition around here I’ve got.”

Keith’s gaze softens for just a second, so fast Lance almost thinks he’s imagined it.

“Same.” he says, quietly, and then he’s off again.

/

Lance has got to, got to, _got to_ do something to take his mind off of -- _whatever_ transpired back on the bridge.

“Marill,” he says, startling the Pokemon awake just as she was dozing off on the bed next to him. They were checked into the center for the night, and he was lucky enough to get one of the big beds. _All to himself_ , this time. “Will you water-gun me?”

And Marill, with her beady little eyes, gives him the most disgusted look her cute face can muster before she’s moving as far away from him as she can on the bed.

“That’s cold!” Lance says, offended. “I saved you from Team Rocket!”

She waves her tail at him dismissively, back completely turned away, and he knows he’s lost this battle.

He remembers once when he told Hunk he wished he could read her mind, and finds that a little bit amusing. You don’t need to be a mind-reader if you just pay a little attention.

His mind wanders back to Hunk, and… Oh, _bingo_! The perfect thing to distract him, stowed away in his bag. The magazine he picked up!

Marill only makes a slightly disgruntled noise as he shoots across the bed, groping down and around the edges for his bag. He pulls the magazine out -- slightly crumpled, but not that much worse for wear -- and flips on the lamp. Marill grumbles, burying herself under the covers.

“I can just put you back in your ball, you know,” Lance says, looking at the lump of blanket. When he receives no response, he turns his attention back to the magazine, thumbing through the pages.

The spread that supposedly “features” Hunk is just a small, few paragraph article, and it’s mostly about upcoming young talents in general. Still, though, there’s an enlarged photo of Hunk, similar to the one on the cover, and his chest feels warm just looking at it. Hunk still feels -- still _looks_ \-- like home to him.

And this is just the start to Hunk’s adventure.

Lance flips through the pages, skimming the contents, until he finally lands back onto another article. The one from the cover page about the Champion.

And, well. It’s not that he doesn’t care about the current Champion. Who doesn’t love the guy? But more like… Lance doesn’t see what his “rumored” family has anything to do with whether he’s a good representation of the League, or even how he interacts with his Pokemon at all.

Still, Lance finds himself skimming the article, his eyes only catching on the most interesting words.

The gist of it is: His parents disappeared years ago, right before he became Champion. No one was able to get a hold of them, after he stepped into the limelight, with his old house being completely abandoned. Even his little brother, who was only around seven at the time, went missing.

The article goes on to cite rumours circulating of people who knew them having seen them later in Rocket outfits, but Lance’s mind is hooked on that last bit, as he rereads the lines over and over.

A little boy squatting in the forest with his Growlithe comes to mind.

Lance’s fingers tap against his leg.

/

He ends up with his last Pokemon just before he challenges his final gym, and fittingly enough his newly acquired Marowak is the one to land the finishing blow.

For the first time in awhile he stops on his way out to look at the placard. He must stare at it for a bit too long, because suddenly gym leader Nyma is behind him, clearing her throat. Lance jumps about a foot into the air.

“Oops.” she says, though the cheeky way she raises an eyebrow suggests she’s not actually that apologetic. She quickly moves on, “he a friend of yours?”

Lance’s eyes dart toward Keith’s name, and he thinks _well, yeah, kind of, but then I met him years later and hated his guts but then we took down a Team Rocket base together and we became friendly rivals but then we slept in a bed together and I don’t even know_ what _that was--_

But, thankfully, he doesn’t have to say anything. Nyma must be reading his expression, or she just gets tired of waiting for an answer, because she continues:

“Well, if you’re looking for him, he overheard me talking about some trouble on Mt. Moon and shot off in that direction. Be _careful_ , though.” and the way she stresses _careful_ makes Lance frown. He’s been through Mt. Moon before, and the scariest things he saw were the sheer amount of Zubats.

“Trouble?”

“Team Rocket rumors.” she says, and that’s all Lance needs to hear.

/

Luxio -- _no_ , _Luxray_ , _now_ , he reminds himself, -- pads alongside him as they walk through the cave, his only source of light besides the odd places where there are cracks in the walls or ceiling. Lance finally finds Keith _deep_ in the cave, leaning up against a stony wall. He relies more on Luxray’s keen nose than anything else to find him, but when he does Lance chooses not to say anything. He sits down next to him, legs crossed, sets his hands in his lap and leans back.

Keith sighs. His eyes are closed, but he’s conscious, and seems to be okay. That’s all Lance really cares about.

They stay silent for a very long time, before Lance finally speaks up.

“... So did you find them?”

Keith opens up his eyes and gives Lance a surprised look, who simply looks back nonchalantly. He responds by chuckling slightly and leaning his head back against the wall, shaking it.

“No. But they were here. Arcanine remembers their smell. We spent forever searching everywhere for them.”

“... What do you think you’ll get when you find them?” Lance asks, and Keith blinks. It sounds like such a rude question, but both of them know what he means.

“Answers.” Keith replies back, simply, and Lance nods.

They stay there, like that, for two hours longer before Keith gets up. Lance has almost dozed off, so he startles at the abrupt movement. Keith grins, extending a hand down to him, and Lance accepts it without hesitation.

This time, Keith’s hand doesn’t linger. He jerks Lance forward, so close their noses are almost touching, and every single word Lance thinks of saying gets stuck inside his throat as he’s strangled by their proximity.

“The next time we meet,” Keith says, and his voice is so low it sends an involuntary shiver down Lance’s spine. If he’s trying to sound _dangerous_ , it’s working. “It’ll be at Indigo Plateau.” maybe working too well. His voice was _dangerous,_ all right. “So be ready for our final battle.”

Then Keith releases him just as quickly as he had grabbed him, and Lance watches as the darkness of the cave covers up his retreating back as he blushes all the way up to his ears.

/

Lance gives Keith the head start, because it’s his place to fight the current Champion, and they both know it.

(Besides -- his Champion battle is supposed to be against Keith, always has been. He wouldn’t do anything to mess that up.)

He can tell that Keith must not be _that_ far ahead, though, judging by the way the trainers on the way there scramble for their full revives, for their burn heals as Lance approaches them. It gives Lance an edge that he doesn’t necessarily want, although it does make it easier to keep pace with Keith.

He heals his Pokemon one last time, gives them one final rest when he finally reaches the Plateau. They’re all just as focused as he is, just as _ready_ as he is, so they’re surprisingly quiet when he releases them from their balls. He wonders if it’s nerves, or if they’re just ready to go. He hopes it’s a mixture of both. Both is good.

A magazine cover at the Pokemon Mart catches his eyes -- “ _Master Rank at Lilycove, Can This Up and Coming Coordinator Take it All_!?” -- and Lance thinks he hasn’t seen a picture of Hunk that good in his entire life. He fits right into that lifestyle, after all -- it’s like he was born to be Coordinating.

Lance is finishing up buying supplies when the screen above the doors lights up, signaling a new broadcast. Lance watches as Keith walks toward Champion Shiro, face totally impassive, before it switches to the other man’s face -- who looks like he’s going through _so many_ different emotions seeing Keith, he can’t decide on just one expression.

Lance watches for a few more seconds, somewhat mesmerized, and then recalls all his Pokemon and continues through the doors.

/

Elite Four Allura recalls her Pokemon with a genuine, if not a bit tired, smile.

“We don’t usually get back-to-back challengers.” she says, pocketing her Pokeball. “Thank you for a good challenge, and an excellent look at your battle style.”

She’s even more beautiful in-person than on-screen, than she is in magazines and on billboards -- but before he can even say anything more, she gestures to the door behind her.

“I’m sure they’re done battling by now... Although you did beat us all at an impressive rate, I might add.”

“Thank you.” he says, and she gives him a genuine smile as he passes by her.

Lance thinks about Allura, ex-Champion, conquering the League at the tender age of thirteen and keeping it, undefeated, until _eighteen_. Like her father, Champion before _her_ , she took her defeat with elegance and grace. She steps down to become the final Elite Four challenger --the beauty of Kanto, perhaps not the _strongest_ anymore, but still one of the best.

Lance wonders what Keith will do, after all of this.

He enters the Champion’s room, eyes wide -- he’s worked so hard to get here, and actually standing in the room is more than unbelievable. It’s…

It’s Keith clearing his throat from in the middle of the room.

Lance’s eyes snap up, and he flushes -- _what_ , is he not allowed to admire the place he’s been dreaming of his whole life? -- then he straightens his posture, eyes flicking between Keith, and Shiro who was now standing next to him.

“I… Wasn’t expecting a new challenger quite so soon,” Shiro begins, but then pauses. “... But then again, I guess you aren’t _my_ challenger at all.”

Lance beams at Keith when he says that, grinning.

“You did it.”

Keith smirks back. “I thought we made a promise.”

“And let it be said, right here right now, on camera, that Lance McClain does _not_ break promises.”

Keith moves toward the his side, following the markings on the floor. Lance stands at the other end, and Keith rolls his eyes.

“Stop hamming it up for the cameras!”

“ _Why_?” Lance asks, looking around for them. “I can say, _‘hi Mama, hi Hunk, hi Pidge_ ’--”

Keith sends out Ninetails onto the field to cut him off, and Lance grins.

It’s _finally showtime_.

/

He throws out the ball with Marill in it, and Keith cocks his head in confusion. “Not evolved?”

Lance shakes his head.

“Why rush when you’ve got all the time in the world? I have to have something to surprise my challengers with.” truth be told, Lance had been using an Everstone on her, for fear that she’d lose some of her speed in the evolution. Keith raises an eyebrow, but the next words out of his mouth are a command.

Lance and Marill, however, had been working on a secret of their own -- and he’s sure they’re more than prepared. Lance flicks his wrist, and Marill springs into action.

As a team, he had been slowly working on introducing a new way of giving them commands. It didn’t work for his _whole_ team, but it kept his opponents on edge, and it had been so long since Keith and him had a proper battle that this was the first the other had seen of it. The surprise is evident on Keith’s face, and Lance can’t help but feel a little bit proud as he coordinates his hand movements and Marill responds in time.

Ninetails is certainly stronger, but Lance has the edge-- Keith has no idea what attacks are coming up next, and as Lance raises his hand up and brings in roughly back down, swiping two fingers in the air, Marill’s water pulse takes Ninetails out.

“When did you teach your Pokemon that?” Keith asks, light enveloping Ninetails as he’s called back into her ball, and Lance grins.

“Hunk suggested it first,” he says, “And it’s a work in progress kind of thing. Apparently a lot of Pokemon coordinators use it. Something about it being more _graceful_.”

“Hmm.” Keith says, and throws out his next Pokemon.

“Rapidash?” Lance questions. “Are you sure you really want to use another fire--”

“Flame wheel.” Keith commands, and says it so quietly that Lance almost doesn’t hear it. Marill manages to see the signal to dodge it, but only barely, and Keith is so busy spitting out attacks that Marill doesn’t have any time to be glancing back at Lance to see what he’s signaling for her to do.

_Sneaky_. Keith knew exactly what he was doing.

Rapidash suddenly charges forward, making contact with Marill’s body and sending her skidding backward across the polished Champion room floor. She flies into a fury, out of frustration of not being able to see Lance’s commands, and ends up wiped out in seconds when fighting on her own.

Lance sighs and recalls her.

He throws out his Psyduck next, who manages to knock out Rapidash after a few well-placed psychic attacks. Keith surprises him yet _again_ , by throwing out a Dragonair, but Psyduck isn’t just strong, he’s _tough_. He takes out Dragonair, but he’s just barely hanging on by the end.

One more hit and Psyduck is out anyway, so he recalls him. If it comes down to it, he can always throw the Pokemon back out in the event of a tie.

And then, Lance realizes,

He’s winning.

Like actually, for real winning. And Keith isn’t letting this happen, either -- he’s fought Keith, fought _with_ Keith, enough to know that when he battles he goes all out. And this wasn’t different than any other time.

Keith throws out a Gyarados, and Lance gives him a shocked look that makes Keith sigh.

“Remember the bridge?”

“... You were catching a _Magikarp_?” Lance says, incredulously. “But, there’s someone who sells them in the Pokemon Center by Cerulean Cave!”

Keith blinks. “... Oh. I… I never went in there.”

Lance shakes his head and laughs, and then throws out Marowak.

If he’s being honest, all of the tension of this being a battle, being _the_ battle, being recorded and played on live television -- it’s all melted away, barely a thought in the back of his head. It feels like another battle with his rival, where they’re both going all-out, just like their battles have _always_ felt.

It’s... Just not outside in front of a Pokemon center, this time.

Gyarados wipes the floor with Marowak, and to be honest, Lance knows that’s probably his fault. Marowak was the newest addition to his team, and probably could have used more training. Marowak is still surprisingly resilient, though, and Lance isn’t going to let any of his Pokemon just _go down_ without a fight.

Marowak, evidently, feels the same way.

Gyarados is starting to falter, starting to burn out from Keith’s constant barrage of commands, and it leaves an opening. Marowak ends the battle with an impressive Boomerang that KOs Keith’s Gyarados on the way back.

Lance discreetly pinches himself, _just_ to make sure he isn’t dreaming.

He recalls Marowak, and they throw out their next Pokemon together this time. His Espeon appears from its ball, just as an Umbreon appears from Keith’s.

“Oh, _come on_!” Lance shouts. Keith looks like he’s trying not to laugh.

Umbreon, unsurprisingly, knocks out Espeon in a way that’s so fast it’s a little bit embarrassing. Especially when he had been so confident in Espeon’s abilities--

Oh well.

Scizor is next, and Umbreon is already a little bit weak, so it doesn’t take too much to end that. Then Keith is down to his last Pokemon, and _even though_ Scizor is still practically at full health--

He recalls him and tosses out the ball with Luxray in it.

Keith tilts his head in question, but Lance shakes his head.

“I want this to end the way it started.” he explains, and Keith face changes: surprise, and then determination. He nods,

And tosses out Arcanine.

The two Pokemon stare each other down from their respective sides of the field, and suddenly the lights in the Champion’s battle room feel too hot, too bright. They beat down on Lance’s skin and he wipes away sweat at his hairline, watching Keith carefully.

The lights in the Champion’s battle room beat down on Lance’s skin as he wipes away sweat at his hairline, watching Keith carefully. Despite their distance, he can tell just by his movements that Keith is feeling the tension too. _Good_. They’re both waiting on who’s going to make the next move -- they both know it’s going to be Keith.

Lance doesn’t consider himself a defensive battler, per _say_ , but Keith makes even the rowdiest youngster trainers look like cautious battlers.

And, after all, Keith is always first. Ahead of him in calling out attacks, ahead of him in gym badges.

… But since Lance is already setting a new precedent, why _not_ start a little early?

“Luxray, quick attack!”

It hardly does any damage, but that’s not what Lance was trying to do in the first place.

The static from Luxray’s fur flies off in sparks, and Arcanine is totally paralyzed. Lance gives Keith a smug look when he realizes this, and then they both know how this is ending--

Keith doesn’t look disappointed one bit.

She still manages to get a few good attacks on Luxray, fighting through the paralysis. But eventually she can’t take it anymore, and a well-placed Volt Tackle ends the whole thing.

And Lance

is Kanto Champion.

/

Keith is waiting for him outside the Hall of Fame, and they shake hands before Keith turns to leave. Lance’s heart is still beating so heavily in his chest that everything almost seems blurry, even as Shiro is busy trying to explain to lance what being League Champion _means_ \-- but he stops abruptly, frowning and Keith’s retreating back.

(Lance is frowning too, once he realizes what’s going on.)

“Keith, wait,” Shiro says, and there’s something in his voice that Lance can’t quite place. Keith pauses, looking over his shoulder.

“I’ll be around, Shiro,”

and then he leaves.

Shiro looks conflicted, like he wants to chase after his long-lost little brother, but he sighs and shakes his head. Lance can practically hear the ‘ _responsibilities’_ mantra in his mind as he tells Lance that the Champion title is something that comes with a lot more than just being the strongest trainer.

“Okay,” Lance says, nodding to it all. “Okay. I can do all that.” the adrenaline from the battle is starting to wear off, the realization that he’s beat Keith, and now Keith _isn’t even here_ kicking in -- and suddenly he’s just feeling exhausted. “-- but first, I have to go visit my family.”

/

Maria answers the door when he knocks, and she shrieks.

Lance kind of wishes she wouldn’t-- but his attempts to _shhh_ her are completely futile as she yells some more, before firmly latching onto him. Footsteps follow, come to see what the commotion is, and then Lance can’t see anything past that because he’s suddenly covered in family.

There are tears, and a lot of angry yelling from his mom, but once everyone finally calms down, he’s able to use his mom’s Pidgey to send a letter up to the Indigo Plateau.

“ _Shiro,_

_I’m going to need a week here. I went over two years without talking to my family, and my mom is super mad. I’ll be back when I can._

_Thanks, (_ oh my god please save me _) Lance._ ”

He receives a reply a few hours later, when his siblings are outside playing with his Pokemon and he’s sitting on the front porch, watching them. The letter lans in front of him, and the Pidgey flutters back into the house through the open kitchen window.

“Lance,

Take as much time as you need. Two years is a long time to go. I bet she was very worried.

There’s still a few forms you need to fill out, so I’ll send a Pokemon with them later. Just try and have them done and sent back before you come back to the Plateau.

:o)

Sincerely, (Ex) Champion Shiro.”

Lance eyes the _ex_ part warily, wondering he should sign his name with Champion Lance from now on.

… And then he imagines Keith signing off his letters with _ex-Champion_ , and grins to himself as he tucks the paper away.

/

Lance is just, _almost_ asleep that night when he feels Espeon pawing at his face. Annoyed, he gently pushes him off and rolls over. But when he persists--

“If you don’t stop, you can go into your Poke-- _Oh_.”

That’s not his Espeon, he realizes, as his groggy mind resurfaces to consciousness. Or any Espeon, actually, although it’s kind of close.. Umbreons and Espeons are _kind of close, right_?

Mind still hazy, he blinks a few times before realizing what an _Umbreon in his room_ means.

Satisfied by his sudden jump from the bed, Umbreon hops out of his bedroom window and Lance is rushing down the stairs to the front door. He’s aware that he probably looks like crap -- but then again, he saw Keith covered in dirt and sitting in a rock cave, so he guesses it’s only fair. His grin nearly breaks his face when he sees Keith standing on his front porch, hands in his pockets.

“Hey,” he says, a little bit breathless from his rush down the stairs. Keith nods back, and even in the darkness Lance feels like Keith’s eyes somehow just _glow_.

“Hi.”

There’s a comfortable silence between them, enveloping them like a warm blanket. Lance takes the moment to reflect -- the last time he saw Keith anywhere near here, did he imagine this is where he would be in life?

“So…” Lance starts, and Keith’s eyes move up to meet his own. Lance has to suppress the urge to shiver. “... Just decided to drop on in? At… 1:24 in the morning?”

Keith’s lips twitch upward for just a fraction of a second, but his smile fades just as fast as it was there at all. Lance frowns.

“Keith?”

“I’m leaving.” he says, simply and Lance... Can’t say it’s unexpected. He doesn’t say anything back, at first, and the longer the silence stretches on the more he can practically feel the anxiety coming off of Keith in waves. Lance clears his throat.

“I wondered,” he says, “If you’d decide to go. I mean, you have unfinished business out in the world, right?” _like his parents_ , wherever they might be. Keith looks surprised at how well Lance is taking it, but gives him a nervous nod.

“... Yeah.”

“You _did_ tell Shiro you’d be around, though.”

“I’ll write him.” Keith says, quickly. “And… I will be around. I won’t be gone… Forever.” he swallows, shifting from one foot to another. “I thought you wouldn’t react to this as well as you are.”

Lance quirks an eyebrow at that. “Why? It’s not like going to another region automatically disqualifies you from being my rival. You’re stuck with me for _life_.” he says, and adds a wink for good measure at the end. The dark makes it hard to see, but Lance swears he sees Keith’s cheeks turn pink.

Well, if he had known it was that easy to fluster Keith, he would have been doing it a lot earlier.

“I do get it, though. Although, I think there’s more of a precedent for this happening the other way around.” at Keith’s quirked eyebrow, Lance continues, “You know, the Champion is usually the flighty one. The one that goes up and hides on a mountain for years....”

“... Or leaves without a trace to go find their recently-disappeared rival.” Keith finishes. Lance nods. “I guess you’re right. Maybe I should go get that Champion title back--”

“I think Shiro would appreciate it if you didn’t, if you’re planning on leaving.” Lance says, and they both chuckle at that. He watches the way Keith’s eyes occasionally dart down to his lips, and he wonders if _Mr. Impulsive_ perhaps had another reason for coming to say goodbye.

“... I’ll miss you.” Lance says, so quietly that if Keith hadn’t been right next to him, he definitely wouldn’t have realized it was said at all. Keith looks away for a second, somewhat guiltily -- and that hadn’t been Lance’s intention at all. Keith had a right to do whatever he wanted with his life. So he quickly tacks on, “But once a Kanto kid, always a Kanto kid, so I know you’ll be back.”

“You’re required to say stuff like that, as Champion,” Keith says, and Lance grins at him because that might be true -- _Kantonian pride_ , and all -- but it had still worked. And the moonlight looks really good, shining on Keith’s hair and giving him just enough light to see his face, and…

And Lance thinks he knows where is is going. Is pretty sure he’s known, for awhile, has maybe imagined this moment -- never outside his childhood home in the dark before, but _whatever works_ \--

He cuts his own train of thought off before it gets out of hand, plastering on a cocky smile. It’s fake confidence, but it should do the job, and upon seeing it Keith’s face goes from looking slightly upset, to slightly _anxious_ , the draw of his brow and quirked down lips the only indicator.

“ _So_ ,” Lance drawls, and he is so definitely putting on a facade right now, but at least it’s breaking the tension. Keith’s eyes jump from Lance, to the darkness around him, to the ground like there’s suddenly something interesting.

“So.” he replies. It’s clipped, but not in an aggressive way like he usually hears. Keith is… Nervous, and it’s a surprisingly fun look on him.

But even though antagonizing Keith was like, _his job_ as rival, he decides to give him mercy. He drops the smug grin, takes a step closer to Keith and enjoys the final look of trepidation he receives before quietly saying, “Tell me if I’m reading this wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’m _not_.”

Lance’s hands go up to cup at Keith’s face, to angle him in the right direction (Lance may not be an experienced kisser, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to be a _bad one_ ,) and their lips just barely brush. When Keith doesn’t move away, doesn’t jerk his head back in alarm, Lance presses them closer.

He moves a hand from Keith’s cheek to the back of his head, tangling his fingers in the black locks, and finally Keith is starting to respond. Somewhat clumsily -- but at least it’s _something_ \-- and at some point Lance’s other hand drifts down from Keith’s cheek to his shoulder. Keith presses against Lance’s chest, using it to push him backward until Lance was nearly pinned up against the side of his own house. He’s mildly surprised at the initiative Keith’s showing, when just a few minutes ago he had looked so _nervous_ \--

\-- When all of a sudden Keith breaks away, one hand pressed to his mouth and gaze not meeting Lance’s own. Lance is confused, until he realizes that…

Keith is trying to catch his breath.

“Oh my God,” Lance says, enjoying the flushed tone of Keith’s skin, the way red is dusted across his cheeks. “Oh my God, you forgot to brea--”

“Shut up.” Keith hisses, and Lance smirks. This time, there’s no facade, no falsified confidence when he says,

“Make me.”

Keith’s eyes narrow at the challenge, and he shoves Lance until his back is pressed against the house. Keith is just a few centimeters from his mouth, ready for makeout session #2, when the porch lights flicker on.

And Lance counts. With precision. It’s 2.52 seconds that his ten year old sister stands at the doorway, behind the screen door, eyes flicking from Lance, to Keith, back to Lance, before she yells:

“ _Lance is making out with the ex-Champion_!!!”

Keith is 100% shocked into place.

Roughly, Lance pushes Keith away from him, watching as every light in the house flickers on one-by-one. He turns to Keith, running a hand down his own face in frustration. Cock-blocking little siblings are the _worst_.

“Go.”

Keith blinks. “What?”

“ _Go_!” Lance hisses, urgency in his voice. “You’ve probably got ten seconds before my entire family pours out here and drags you inside like an honorary member. You won’t be able to leave until morning if that happens.”

And as much as Lance _wanted_ just one more day with Keith, he knew he’d only be postponing the inevitable. Maybe letting go, right here right now, would be the easiest thing for both of them.

“But--”

“ _Five seconds_!” Lance warns. Footsteps sound from inside, the familiar _thump-thump_ of his siblings coming down the stairs. Keith takes a step backward, finally heeding Lance’s warnings, just as Lance reaches out to snag his wrist.

“Write me.”

“Wh-”

“Once a week. Promise?”

Reluctantly, Keith nods, and Lance lets go of his wrist with a grin.

“Later, then, _rival_.” he lets the last word come out with a playful tone, and then watches as the darkness of his home town envelops Keith just before his mom bursts the door open.

And Lance can’t really imagine Keith writing anything long, but somehow he _does_ know that Keith will write him every single week.

**Author's Note:**

> This is 16000 words of HOT, indulgent mess. I've already got a sequel planned though, because I can't stop. I hope it won't be as long because editing 16000 words was awful. (on that note, if there are any silly errors, that's because i had to edit 16000 words by myself god rest my soul. feel free to point them out.)
> 
> the parts that ended up skimmed over... were probably all originally fleshed out, but i had to cut out due to flow/the fact that it was already SO LONG. i plan on going back over these (in a possible keith POV of this? maybe?) in later writings in this verse.
> 
> final note: they don't have names because I am personally terrible at naming pokemon. i once got so aggressively mad at a magby for repeatedly breaking out of a ball that when i caught it i named it Gaylord and immediately transferred it to the PC.
> 
> ask me questions about the verse on my [tumblr](http://freshias.tumblr.com) or come scream at me about voltron and pokemon both on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/yordlecompstomp)!


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